The ghost officer, seeing Yu Daochen dare to threaten him, was instantly enraged and roared, "Arrogant!"
Just as the ghost officer was about to make a move, Yu Daochen quickly pulled a wooden token from his pocket: "Does Lord Ghost Officer recognize this?"
The ghost officer stopped and carefully examined the token in Yu Daochen's hand. His previously angry face immediately broke into a smile: "So it's General Huo's token. My apologies for the earlier offense."
Yu Daochen chuckled inwardly, realizing this fellow was also a fair-weather friend.
However, he couldn't entirely blame him, as Old Huo was his immediate superior.
"Lord Ghost Officer, may I speak with you in private?" Although Yu Daochen despised him inwardly, he didn't show it on his face.
"Daoist Yu, you are being too formal. Of course, we can," the ghost officer replied with a smile, though he cursed inwardly.
Damn it, I didn't check the almanac before leaving today. I kicked a steel plate.
Entering the woods, Yu Daochen asked curiously, "Lord Ghost Officer, I recall that ghost plays don't usually involve ghost officers, do they?"
Yu Daochen knew that private ghost plays were forbidden, but he had never seen a ghost officer interfere before.
All crows are black. He didn't believe this fellow was truly incorruptible.
The ghost officer sighed helplessly, "Alas, Daoist Yu, you are unaware. Ever since the seal on the entrance to the underworld was lifted last time, the higher-ups have been particularly vigilant about this, especially regarding gatherings to summon ghosts. Therefore, they specifically emphasized that private ghost plays are not allowed in the mortal realm. I have no choice."
Upon hearing this, Yu Daochen fell into thought.
He hadn't expected the underworld to directly interfere in mortal affairs; this was a major taboo.
Once boundaries were crossed, a large-scale conflict might erupt.
However, if the underworld dared to act so brazenly, it could only mean that the human higher-ups had already tacitly approved.
The ghost officer sighed again and continued.
"Daoist Yu, I am just doing my duty and find myself in a difficult position. The last time, a colleague of mine accepted money for a ghost play here and didn't intervene. He was dismissed upon his return."
Yu Daochen saw that the fellow genuinely seemed to be in a predicament.
But even if it was difficult, he had to get it done!
Either you don't give face to your superior, or you obediently pretend nothing happened.
"This matter has indeed troubled Lord Ghost Officer. After it's over, I will personally explain the situation to General Huo," Yu Daochen said, cupping his hands in thanks.
"No trouble, no trouble. I have other matters to attend to, so I will take my leave," the ghost officer said with a beaming smile, though he was cursing inwardly.
Whether you mention it or not, who knows?
If you mention it, it might even lead to a promotion. If you don't, it's dereliction of duty.
But the problem is, he couldn't afford to offend him. If Yu Daochen really called his superior, he would be as good as dead.
"Your humble servant bids farewell to Lord Ghost Officer," Yu Daochen said with a smile, cupping his hands.
As long as this ghost play was performed, why should he care about the ghost officer's fate?
If he came out of this unscathed, it would be his good luck. If he was dismissed, he could only blame himself.
After all, it was a shame to use such a precious token.
Looking up at the falling snow, Yu Daochen shook his head helplessly.
He had a lingering premonition that this snow was the calm before the storm.
After this small interlude, the play was performed smoothly.
Once the prince removed his makeup, he no longer went mad and hit himself.
Yu Daochen and Yu Yijun, seeing that the matter was resolved, left and returned to the shop.
After this incident, the prince's state of mind underwent a subtle change.
Leaving the opera troupe, he walked onto a path that normal people wanted to enter, and those inside wanted to leave.
The next morning, Yu Daochen tidied up his belongings early and set off for the Yellow River.
Perhaps it was fate's arrangement, but Yu Daochen encountered the same driver again when he took a taxi.
"Young master, is it the train station or the airport?" The taxi driver was numb.
He had encountered this jinx countless times over the past year. At first, he was terrified, but each time he was on the verge of death, he had become desensitized.
Tired, let's just destroy it!
"The train station," Yu Daochen said slowly.
He was also accustomed to it, as if it were destined for this old brother to be his driver.
Having gotten used to his car, he felt uncomfortable riding in anyone else's.
Upon hearing this, the taxi driver stepped on the accelerator and headed for the train station.
Arriving at the train station, Yu Daochen took a train directly to Hebei.
Corpse salvagers were distributed everywhere, but their base camp was still on the Yellow River. Su Zi had been staying at the Yellow River since his trip to Peach Blossom Village.
Arriving at a village in Hebei by the Yellow River, Yu Daochen walked towards the riverbank.
The base camp of the corpse salvaging sect was in a village on the water, and to get there, one had to take a bamboo raft or a boat first.
The snow in Hebei, while not enough to freeze the water's surface, had a thick layer of snow on the ground.
Upon reaching the riverbank, he saw a strong and robust man sitting at the bow of a small boat, fishing.
The man also saw Yu Daochen approaching and sized him up carefully.
Yu Daochen could tell he had found the right person by the expression on the man's face.
As he approached, before Yu Daochen could speak, the man spoke first, "Daoist, are you here to salvage a corpse or cross the river?"